Eyes on Me
by Starlight4u
Summary: After a brutal attack and a spontaneous dance at the Esthar City Annual Ball, will Squall and Rinoa learn there's more than what meets the eye between each other? UPDATED 12.21
1. The Beginning

Esthar Academy. The school located in the upper-class suburbs of Esthar city. Everyone there was rather wealthy to put it simply. A few of the students who attended the academy were sons and daughters of government officials. Rinoa Heartilly was no exception. Being the daughter of Governor Caraway, she too was forced to attend the prestigious school. 

Leading the picture perfect life, Rinoa was always forced to hide every flaw about her self. And being the most popular girl in school and dating the most popular guy didn't help her situation much at all. All she wanted was to be a normal teen in her senior year of high school. She didn't want to deal so much with the fame and such.

Could one chance meeting at an annual ball change her life? Could it change the life of the other individual as well?

Eyes on Me

Chapter One

The limo pulled up along the curbside of Esthar Academy. The young woman inside smiled at the limo driver. "Thanks for the ride, George. I'll see you later this afternoon." 

"Have a nice day, Miss Heartilly."

The teen nodded and stepped out the limo, a purse slung over one shoulder while her other arm carried an assortment of textbooks and folders. She shut the limo door and walked up the sidewalk to the school known as Esthar Academy. Every so often she'd wave to some of her friends who meandered around campus or were just sitting and chatting. Sighing, she opened the doors and glided inside.

Inside a bunch of students scurried up and down the halls. Many conversations filled the hallway and Rinoa tried with no prevail to eavesdrop in on some of them. She gave up rather quickly and instead found her locker. As she was placing her books on one of the shelves of the locker, she noticed from the corner of her eye a boy leaning against the locker beside hers. She needn't look up to tell it was her best friend, Zell Dincht.

"Hey, Rinny! Look what I got over the weekend!" he exclaimed happily, turning his head to the right. Rinoa looked up from her locker and gasped at the large, ornate tattoo on the left side of her friend's face. 

"Zell! Your mom let you get that?" she asked.

"Well, kinda. I was sort of vague that I was going to get it on my face. After convincing her that it wouldn't be some vulgar picture in some unmentionable place, she agreed and that's the story. You like?"

Before Rinoa could respond, another voice cried out from the distance, "Hey Chicken-wuss! You've got a hideous spider on your face!"

Zell's face contorted to that of anger as a blonde-haired, emerald-green eyed boy approached the two. He wore a large, grey trench coat that made him look larger than he was and he also wore his all-too-familiar smirk. Rinoa sighed and turned back to putting things in her locker. 

"Dammit, Seifer! When are you going to grow up?"

"Just as soon as you tell me what the heck you did to your face."

The girl slammed the locker and shifted her purse so it was more comfortable on her shoulder. "Knock it off you two. Can't you two ever go more than five minutes without finding something to argue about?"

"Aw, c'mon Rinoa. I was just having some fun with Chicken-wuss. You don't wanna deprive me of my entertainment now, would you?" he replied, snaking his arm around her waist, still smirking. 

"Oh, is that all I am? Your little monkey in a cage?!" Zell's eyebrows furrowed and he raised his fists.

Rinoa and Seifer paused, confusion written on their face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The other teen dropped his fists and just crossed his arms in frustration. "You know, people go to zoos to watch monkeys for entertainment pur- Oh what am I explaining this to you for? I'm going to find Selphie and Irvine before class starts," he huffed as he stormed to the stairwell and stomped up the stairs, creating a commotion. 

Seifer snickered to himself. "That kid was dropped on the head too many times as a child," he said while leading Rinoa away down the hall to their class which was to start in five minutes.

Switching the subject, Rinoa hugged closer to her boyfriend and smiled. "I missed you this weekend."

"It was only the weekend. Besides, I offered to take you on my parent's yacht and you said you had plans to go shopping." 

"Well, we don't always need to be together, you know. And you know that if I don't go shopping at least twice a week I'll go crazy," she joked. 

"Hyne, don't remind me. I've actually memorized where each and every one of the stores are."

"Are you saying you don't like shopping with me?" Rinoa feigned hurt.

"No, all I'm saying is that if I keep going shopping with you I'll be broke by next month. No matter how hard I resist, I always seem to spend money on you."

"And that's a bad thing?"

Seifer smirked and kissed her on the top of the head. "You decide. But if I'm going to get into Balamb Garden, I'm going to need to keep some of the money to buy a dorm room and all that other stuff. I'm not going to take a plane everyday just so I can stay there for seven hours and come back home."

The girl frowned and turned away. "I don't see why you can't just go to college around here like everyone else is doing."

He rolled his eyes. "Everyone except those who want to become SeeDs. We've been through this already."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and frowned. "I know. But I just don't wanna spend the whole of my after-high-school years stuck here while you're away from me," she muttered.

"Please. Spare me the waterworks. Now, c'mon. Class is going to start soon and I don't wanna be marked late again."

Rinoa couldn't help but laugh. While some people saw Seifer as the guy who always was in trouble and received bad marks on his report card, on the contrary, he was quite possibly the brightest student in the school. And only she was able to see that.

As they both walked into the math classroom, they sat in their respectable seats. Since the desks were arranged in alphabetical order, Seifer sat up front while Rinoa sat a bit towards the middle. 

Right as Rinoa sat down, the bell rang and the teacher appeared from the adjoining room. He walked to the front of the room and stood in front of the whiteboard. Without a word, he wrote, 'pg. 324. #24-48 even.' He turned to the class while pointing back at the board. "This is your assignment. Seeing as you are having a test next week, consider this your review. Take advantage of it. You will study it. You will love it. You will be so consumed in it that it will become your new best friend."

Seifer snorted. "Is this some sort of joke? Are you attempting to hypnotize me? Because it's not working."

"No, Mr. Almasy. I'm simply making a point. Now, open your books now and start working."

As Rinoa opened her book, she could faintly hear her boyfriend mutter under his breath, "Now, assignment. I know it's a bit sudden, but will you marry me? I've fallen in love with your and you are officially my new best friend"

A few students laughed and a few covered their snickers with coughing. Just as everything died down, the door opened and a student wearing mainly black sauntered inside. His chocolate-brown hair partially covered his eyes and he proceeded to sit in his desk.

"I don't think so, Squall Leonheart. This is the third time this week that you've come in my class, unexcused and late. I'd expect better from the president's son. And I'd be right in assuming you have not brought your textbook, again?"

"Yes, sir. You'd be correct on that assumption," the teen mumbled flatly. 

"I guess I can't do anything today. You'll just have to go without a review today, unless someone's willing to lend you their book," the teacher looked around at the class and smiled gleefully. This would be killing two birds with one stone. Sort of. "Well, if no one's going to volunteer their book, looks like I'll have to call on someone! Let's see . . . ."

Everyone pretended to be absorbed in their studies, trying to avoid being called upon and have to work with Squall. Finally, the teacher squealed. "A perfect match! Squall Leonheart, you'll work with Rinoa Heartilly until you finally bring your book back."

Rinoa slid lower and lower in her seat, her face quickly turning a shade of red. Everyone laughed at her misfortune of having to work with the social outcast known as Squall. Everyone laughed, that is, except Seifer. By now he was standing and glaring daggers at both the teacher and the teen. 

"Sir! You can't be serious! You can't possibly pair her up with the likes of him! Why not pair him up with-."

"Why, Mr. Almasy! Are you suggesting you'd like to work with Mr. Leonheart?" his eyes lit up.

Seifer opened his mouth to say something but shut it immediately. When it came to having to work with Squall, he'd rather save his own skin than worry about his girlfriend. He shook his head and proceeded to continue the argument. "I'm just saying that-."

"If you've got nothing else to say, I'd suggest you sit down or you'll receive detention."

"I can just take the zero for today, sir. I don't want to have to put the rest of the students through so much stress of having to work with me," Squall hissed, his eyes shifting from Seifer's back to the teacher's.

"No! You will finish your review today if it's the last thing you do! Sit down and work on your review! And you, Mr. Almasy. Another word from you and you will receive detention! You hear me?"

The class fell silent and went back to their work. Rinoa sat back upright in her seat and stole a glance at Seifer. She gave him a look that practically begged for her to be saved. The blonde shrugged and turned back to his work. Rinoa felt her jaw drop. Not even her boyfriend was willing to help her! Growling, she looked up from her book and forced a smile at Squall. He rolled his eyes and pulled a desk right next to hers. He slumped in the seat and placed his head in one hand. 

Rinoa placed the book between the desks and took out a clean sheet of paper. As she was beginning to work, she felt the book slide back to her side of the desk. She stopped and looked at Squall. He stared back and nudged the book a little more to her. "I don't want your sympathy. You can work by yourself. We'll pretend this never happened."

She was surprised. "But, Mr.-."

"Who cares what he said," he cut her off, almost reading her mind. "I don't want your sympathy. I can see I've already put you through enough. It's written all over your face."

"No, that's not it, you see-."

He turned his back to her and leaned against the pole along the right side of the desk. "Just work. Besides, I'm already failing this class. What's one more zero going to hurt?"

She shut her book and closed her eyes. "It's almost like you don't even care that you'll fail."

" . . . Whatever." 

The girl shook her head, almost feeling guilty for some unknown reason. "Look, I'm not giving you sympathy. Just do your work and I'll help you . . . if you want," her eyes widened as she said this. Had she actually said she would help him with the assignment?

". . . . ."

"Fine. Don't blame me when you get in trouble for not working."

For the rest of the period, Rinoa kept working on her assignment, occasionally sneaking peeks at the boy beside her. With every glance she found it much harder to concentrate on her work. So she was thankful when the bell rang and everyone gathered their stuff to leave. Silently, Squall stood up and walked away, leaving Rinoa completely baffled by his behavior. Not that she was caught off-guard by his coldness because that's why he was often shunned in the first place. But that he never even cared to stick up for himself. 

She was snapped back to reality when she felt Seifer shake her gently. "Rinoa, c'mon. The bell rang." 

Rinoa nodded and packed her work into her book and followed after him. When they were out in the hallway, he faced her. "How was it working with that loser?" 

"Well, he didn't really talk. So I can't say," she replied slowly.

"Sorry I couldn't help you and all. What was I going to say?"

Rinoa narrowed her eyes suddenly. "You could have at least made more of an effort. You just kinda sat there."

"Yeah, after I put up a good argument," he stopped in front of a classroom and pulled her back. "I didn't know what else to say. Ok? Just . . . don't worry about it. It's over and done. Now, later at lunch. Same meeting place?" 

"Yeah, by the tree beside the gates." 

"You're still mad, aren't you?" he ran a hand through his hair. 

"A little. But I'll get over it," she reassured, standing on her tiptoes and kissing him lightly on the cheek. "I'll see you later, alright?" She waved and walked down the hall to her next class, feeling a little better than she had just a few moments before. 

~*~*~

Author's note: Hey! I'm back and better than ever! I had this story for a LONG time and I was going to post it before Thanksgiving break. However, time slipped and I ended up forgetting about it. ^.^

I noticed there was a story a tad bit similar to this one. I must say this in advance, I have only read a handful of Final Fantasy VIII fics. I bear no responsibility to the accidental coincidences that my story may have with other fics. 

Read and review please! Look forward to new chapters within a few weeks (I already have chapter two and three written up, but there's no point in posting them if no one reads the first chapter! ^.^)

~*~*Starlight4u*~*~


	2. Forced

~Eyes On Me~  
  
~Chapter Two~  
  
Rinoa sat in her father's office, trying hard to complete her homework. Phones kept ringing and faxes were constantly coming in as her father calmly took care of everything with a level-head. After she finished her History homework, she leaned back in her chair, pencil behind one ear. Besides math class, school had been rather uneventful. Seifer picked on Zell during lunch, more talk about Squall . . . the usual.   
  
"Rinoa? Are you done with your homework?" her father asked while on hold from one phone call. She nodded and pushed her finished work for him to be examined. While he waited, he looked it over and nodded at her every so often so she knew that her answers were correct.  
  
After fifteen minutes, Governor Caraway hung up and growled. "Honestly, it's like these officials have no idea they leave people on hold," he turned to her and gave a half-smile. "Oh, Rinoa. You did remember about the annual ball coming up this weekend, did you not?"   
  
She rolled her eyes and sat up in her seat. "I asked Selphie if she'd come dress shopping on Wednesday. But, seriously, do I have to go this year? It's the same every year," she complained.   
  
"Now, you know how important it is that you be there. Who else can keep everyone entertained while I'm busy with someone else? Besides, everyone's been asking you be there. They find you absolutely charming," he stated.   
  
She blushed. "In that case, can I invite Seifer to come along, too?"  
  
"I don't see the problem. But you know the rules. You stay downstairs. No going upstairs or any of that. Within my sights if you're going to be with that boy, is that clear?"  
  
Rinoa smiled and stood up. "Crystal."  
  
"Oh, one more thing before you leave. President Laguna Loire has decided to attend this year. He's bringing his son along as well. Sq . . . Sque . . . Squi . . . oh! I remember now. Squall. Squall Leonheart."  
  
She felt her face go pale as she froze by the doorframe. "Squall?"  
  
~*~*~  
  
"I'm home," Squall called through the intercom system of his house. He placed his jacket on the couch in one of the many sitting rooms and headed upstairs. Before he could reach the top, a man appeared from one of the rooms.  
  
"Hey! Squall, you're home!" the man leaned against the banister.  
  
"No, you think?" was his sarcastic reply. He breezed past the man and walked into his room where he promptly slammed the door in his face.   
  
"Laguna? Was that Squall who just came home?" a butler called from downstairs. Laguna looked over the banister and nodded. The butler held up a cordless phone. "We just received a phone call from his school. Something about his tardiness in math class?"  
  
Laguna sighed and brushed a strand of brown hair from his face. "Not again," he muttered. He turned back to the butler. "I'll call them back later. Thank you."   
  
With a nod, the butler turned on his heels and glided away. Laguna shook his head and paced to his son's room. He raised his hand to knock but was interrupted. "Come in," Squall bellowed from inside the room. Obliging, Laguna opened the door and looked around the room. It wasn't often he saw his son's room. It was a dark blue and rather messy. On one side of the room was a desk cluttered with CD's and papers as well as a laptop computer. On the other side of the room was Squall's king sized bed. He lay in the middle of his bed, throwing a koosh ball up and down, catching it each time.  
  
"Well . . . I see you had a rough day," Laguna said slowly.  
  
Squall snorted. "As if every day for me isn't like a living hell."  
  
His father cringed at his son's words. Nonetheless, he continued inside. "Charles just received a call from your school. Apparently you've been late a few times to class?"  
  
Squall stopped and looked at Laguna. "Wow, are you actually taking time off your busy schedule to give me a lecture on why I should be on time?"  
  
"Squall, why do you have to be so difficult?"  
  
"Why do you have to be so busy?" the teen countered. Both stared at each other, tension rising in the room.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry I can't exactly hold your hand every waking moment."  
  
Squall sat up and jumped off his bed, approaching Laguna with fire burning in his eyes. "That's not what I'm asking. All I want is for you to be able to take time off and actually do something other than work. Sometimes I wonder just how it feels to be a normal teen, you know. Oh, that's right. You wouldn't know. You're so busy in your office to even care."  
  
Laguna smiled. "Well, guess what? This Saturday is Esthar City's Annual Ball and I thought maybe we should go."  
  
Squall let out a mixture between a snort and a laugh. "You've gotta be kidding me. I'm not getting into a tux and dancing. If I'm not dancing, I'll probably be sitting for five hours watching boring government officials drink wine (which I can't have because I'm underage) and talk absolute nonsense. Oh, and I'm sure they'll try to make conversation with me such as," he pretended to be an old woman. "'Oh sonny, it must be so nice to be the son of President Loire. Tell me, how are you doing in school? Do you have any girlfriends?'" he dropped the act.   
  
"Look, if you want, we won't stay there long if you don't want to. But I need to be there to talk about some important issues. And I don't want you to stay here alone. You need to get out more, Squall."  
  
"I won't be here alone. The maids and butlers will be here."  
  
Laguna started to walk out of the room. "Well, you're coming with me whether you like it or not. You will wear a tux and you will dance. Besides, I heard the Governor's daughter's going to be there. You should talk to her."  
  
" . . . Whatever."  
  
Laguna sighed. "Sometimes I wonder about you. Anyway, I thought you might want to know. By the way, you can consider this punishment for being tardy so much," he flashed a toothy grin. "See ya!"  
  
As Laguna shut the door, Squall flopped back on his bed and clenched his jaw shut. "I wish a lightning bolt could come from the sky and strike me dead," muttered Squall.  
  
The door suddenly opened again and Laguna's head popped through. "By the way, in case you were wondering, the Governor's daughter goes to your school. Rinoa Heartilly. You know her?"  
  
Squall sat up in his bed quickly. "Rinoa?" he turned to Laguna and narrowed his eyes. "Don't you know how to knock?" he yelled before throwing the koosh ball at the already-closing door.  
  
As he got up to retrieve the ball, his mind kept racing with the name Rinoa Heartilly.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Author's note: Wow, I'm so sorry for the wait everyone! I've been quite busy and I never got around to loading this chapter. I can assure you though that the wait for the next chapter won't be as long. However, after chapter three, the wait may be long again due to the fact that I'll have to get back into writing this and I still have to think of an ending that works out. Gomen! Six reviews, not bad. Especially in the Final Fantasy VIII section where no one hardly reviews. ^.^ Now, time for review replies.   
  
Dark Angels: I'm glad you thought the beginning was good. Quite honestly, I was worried that I went too much into detail yet not enough at the same time. Hopefully I'll still be up to your standards with this chapter.  
  
Wolfdrifter: Wow, lol, resorting to pleading? That's new for me. Well, sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! I'll try harder to work faster to please you. ^.^  
  
DBH: Thanks! I look forward to your next review as well. ^.~  
  
GrieverLion: Thanks so much for reminding me that I still had this story up. If you hadn't noted me in my diary, I probably would have forgotten about it. Hope everything's going well with your problems and I'm very flattered that you went to great lengths to remind me to get the next chapter up.   
  
Quisty65: Hi! Thanks for the review! ^.^  
  
Joey: Hey, just wanted to say thanks so much for helping me with the first chapter. I'll be using you again quite soon to help me check over the rest of the chapters. You better review again, or else . . . lol. I love you so much!  
  
Sorry this chapter was short, but I'm pretty sure chapter 3 was longer. Look forward to it soon! ^.^ 


	3. Sympathy

Eyes on Me

Chapter 3

Rinoa came up behind Seifer and ruffled his hair playfully. "Hey! I have a question for you. What are you doing this weekend?" she asked, leaning in to look at his locker which was rather organized.

Seifer pulled out a Math textbook and placed his large trench coat inside on one of the hooks. "Well, I think I'm headed over to Balamb to take a look at their school's facility and maybe visit a relative or two. Why?"

The dark-haired teen scrunched her face in disappointment. "Can't you cancel the trip and just go next week? Please?"

"What are you getting at, Rin?" he replied exasperated, slamming the locker and giving his full attention to her.

"This weekend is the Esthar City Annual Ball and my dad said you can come. I don't want to be there alone! Please?" she begged, grabbing desperately onto his arm to emphasize her point.

"Look, I really wish I could go, but this is the only weekend I could go that was convenient to the rest of my family. I've been looking forward to this for the past month. Ask Selphie to come with you."

Rinoa let go of his arm and frowned. "She _is_ coming, but I really wanted you to come."

Seifer started to walk away with Rinoa following beside him. "Rin, you know I would go. It's just that this is more important right now. If I blow this opportunity-."

"Then you can go to Galbaldia or Trabia. Seifer, please!"

"Rinoa, knock it off now. I already said I can't go. Now let's go before we're late," he firmly stated with his emerald eyes narrowed to slits and a deep frown implanted on his face. Seifer stalked off to his next class, leaving Rinoa to groan to herself in displeasure.

When she finally arrived to her math class, everyone was already seated yet still conversed with each other. Seifer rolled his eyes at the sight of Rinoa in the doorway and turned away, leaving Rinoa to feel rather guilty about the whole argument. Nonetheless, she took her seat, her eyes not once leaving the cold fake wood that made up her desk. After some time had passed, she felt the eyes of another boring into her, as if trying to penetrate her mind to find what she was thinking. Slowly, she raised her head and met eyes with that of Squall. She shook the hair from her face and leaned on the palm of her left hand. "You're on time for once."

Squall's face remained unchanged, almost as if he didn't even hear Rinoa's comment. Just as she was about to turn away he said, "You're unhappy for once."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she hissed low enough so that only he could hear.

"Usually you're over by your boyfriend and joking with your friends. Today you just slumped into your seat. _That_ is how I can tell you're unhappy."

Rinoa laughed falsely. "What if I just so happened to not _want_ to talk to anyone today? I mean, it isn't against the rules, you know?"

"Then you must be mad that you, too, have to go to the Esthar City Annual Ball as well. There really is no other explanation," he examined, his voice monotonous. Rinoa's eyes widened just slightly but not enough to show Squall that she was surprised. He nodded and turned back so he was facing the front of the room again.

"You must not be that upset about having to go. I mean, you're not acting like it," she announced, regaining the mysterious teen's attention.

"I am not one for parties. It shouldn't be too difficult for you, though. I mean, you go to parties every weekend, right? Probably get drunk as you're dancing, too. So, this shouldn't be so far from what you do," commented Squall coldly. Rinoa narrowed her eyes angrily and jabbed a finger in his face.

"I've _never_ been accused of such acts . . . is that how you see me? Some girl who goes out for an hour to get drunk and all that stuff?"

He leaned back in his seat. "Apparently that's how the rest of the school feels or I wouldn't have accused you of anything."

"I . . . would _never_ . . . do _anything_ . . . like that. I've never even _been_ to a party with those things. How dare you!"

Squall smirked and waved his hand to dismiss her argument. "Whatever you say, _princess_." This only seemed to agitate Rinoa even more but she did a good job in hiding it, instead turning toward the front of the class and keeping her eyes focused on the whiteboard.

* * *

Rinoa turned and looked at herself in the mirror, admiring a strapless pastel yellow dress that she was trying on. She pursed her lips and ran her hands down the side of her body, still turning in front of the mirror. Sighing, she opened the door and walked into the hallway where Selphie was sitting on a bench, a dress in her own hands. When Selphie saw her friend, she squealed in delight. "Oh, Rinoa! You look so gorgeous in that dress! It's not too flashy but at the same time it's not too boring. Seifer will die when he sees you!"

Rinoa shook her head sadly. "Seifer's not coming. He's going to Balamb Garden to check out their facilities and stuff."

"Aw, Rin . . . he's actually going?" Selphie asked sympathetically, stretching her legs out in front of her. Rinoa nodded and brushed a strand of dark hair from her eyes. She shrugged and twirled for her friend once more.

"So . . . should I get it?" she inquired. Selphie nodded eagerly, making Rinoa smile as she walked back into the dressing room to dress back into her normal clothes. When she came back out, both girls immediately walked to the register to pay for their dresses. Finished with that, they proceeded to walk around the mall.

"So what's the deal with you and Irvine? I mean . . . I heard he was flirting with another girl again," asked Rinoa.

Selphie scrunched her face in displeasure. "Yeah, he was with that no-good slut, Evelyn. She was asking for help with her homework, which I'm assuming is the new way to ask for sex. It's almost like he doesn't even like me anymore and he's only using me for the title as boyfriend and girlfriend."

"You can't assume though that he was just going to make out with her though. Sure, Evelyn isn't the innocent of all girls in our school and her blood is probably pure alcohol with all the bars and parties that she attends, but I don't think she'd intentionally go after Irvine while knowing you two are dating. She's not that vicious."

The green-eyed girl turned to face her friend. "Rinoa, you don't understand. Any guy that likes you would be the happiest man in the world and wouldn't think twice about flirting with another woman if they were with you. But me and Irvine . . . any girl that so much passes a second glance at him brings him farther and farther from me. You've got it made. Me?" she laughed hollowly, "it's not that easy to keep a guy."

"Oh, c'mon! There are a lot of guys who would kill to be with you, Selph. I mean, have you even _tried_ talking to Irvine about how you felt? Maybe he's insecure about this relationship like you are and that's why he flirts so much. Ask him to come with you to the Ball. I'm sure everything will work out. Ok?" Rinoa gave Selphie a reassuring squeeze on the arm and smiled warmly. "Now let's go. I'm sure daddy will want to see the dresses we bought."

A shadowed figure tiptoed through the graveyard, the moonlight guiding him faintly through the maze. When he reached the grave that he was looking for, he knelt before it and placed a single flower in front of it. His hand brushed against the stone and traced the name lightly. "I'm sorry I'm late . . . I hope you're not mad at me . . ." he whispered but was interrupted when a flashlight shone in his eyes, causing him to squint.

"Hey, you! Get out of here! Graveyard's closed! I don't need punks like you screwing around here, doing whatever you do. Go home!"

He stood up quickly and ran, stumbling over the graves along the way.

* * *

**Author's note**: Whoops! Time slipped and I never got around to writing the end of this. Summer's here so maybe, just maybe I'll get to write more chapters much faster. . Alright, now for the reader reviews!

**Time Warp**: Well, hopefully it turned out to your liking. Keep reviewing!

**DBH**: I know . . . I'm horrible at updating kinda quickly. I just kind of forget and then realize that there are people who kind of want to read it. I hope it's still a good read. . I'm trying!

**Dark Angels**: LOL, I have a nasty habit of being too hard on myself. I think it's modesty. . I don't believe I've ever stopped a story that I've started if someone enjoys it. It means a lot that you really want to read this. Thanks a lot! .

**Trekken46**: Well, Squall and Rinoa are acquaintances. They're in the same classes so they know each other pretty much by reputation. I'm glad to hear that it's kind of new to the Squinoa stories. That's what I'm going for. I look forward to seeing you again.


	4. Mistakes

Eyes on Me

Chapter 4

Squall stood in front of the mirror in his room, trying to straighten a wrinkle out of his suit that was to be worn at the Ball the next evening. Laguna had tried to convince Squall to do something with his hair with no prevail. His eyes were still cold and bore no happiness. His frown seemed permanently etched onto his face and an air of sadness forever hung above his head.  
  
"Squall! C'mon, it's time to get to school. Hurry up and get down here!" a female voice called from downstairs. The teen sighed heavily and quickly changed into his school clothes which consisted of all black once again. He grabbed his backpack and trudged down the spiral staircase where a plump woman with sandy blonde hair stood looking quite impatient. "Honestly, is there any color in your wardrobe? You're hopeless."  
  
"Where's my father?" Squall asked, not listening to the woman's words.  
  
"He left for the office already. He has a meeting to attend to regarding the ball tomorrow night. He asked that you come home immediately after school so that you could help decorate the hall tonight and that you don't be late, understood?"  
  
Squall strode by her. "Whatever, you're not my mother. Unless my father gives me direct orders, I listen to no one," he responded harshly, taking a set of keys and slamming the door behind him. Squall hopped into his red classic convertible and started it, backing quickly out of the driveway and speeding off hastily toward school.

* * *

"So I finally got the new Lexus after begging my dad for it. You like?" Seifer gestured to his new car in front of Rinoa, Zell, and Selphie. Zell rolled his eyes discreetly and crossed his arms as Rinoa and Selphie circled the vehicle, marveling its structure and interior.  
  
"No occasion? He just . . . gave it to you?" Zell asked. Seifer sneered at Zell's hidden jealousy.  
  
"It's so nice, Seifer! You're so lucky!" interjected Selphie, running a hand over the hood ever so delicately.  
  
Just as Rinoa was getting ready to comment, Squall screeched into the next parking space, making the air smell of burnt rubber. He stepped out of his car and shut the car door while slinging his backpack over his shoulder.  
  
Seifer leaned against his car, eyeing Squall. "Hey, how do you like the new car? Too bad your dad doesn't love you or you might have one of these babies to drive as well," he laughed snobbishly, Selphie and Zell joining in as well. Rinoa watched with sympathy as the three continued to jeer and tease Squall.  
  
Finally she jumped in to stop the teasing. "Hey, leave him alone. He hasn't done anything to you," she said bravely. Seifer, Selphie and Zell turned to her, surprise written on their faces. When they turned back to Squall he was already gone.  
  
"Rinny, what's your deal? We're just having some fun. It's not like he even cares. He never shows any emotion," Zell pointed out.  
  
"What, that's supposed to make a difference? Leave him alone. I'm sure it's already hard enough on him anyway."  
  
Seifer snorted. "Yes, I can see how being the President's son is so hard. We're not hurting anyone."  
  
"Guys . . . maybe Rinoa's right. Maybe we should just leave him alone," agreed Selphie.  
  
"Whatever. Look, maybe if he wasn't too much of a freak then he might actually be cool to hang out with. He just doesn't even try to fit in! He wears black all the time, he's always late, he never talks . . ." Seifer listed.  
  
Rinoa shook her head in disgust and shifted her purse to her other shoulder. "I'm out of here. I'll see you three in class." She walked toward the building, passing by an alleyway to the right of the school. The bell must have rung already because no one was outside like they normally were. Not worried, Rinoa kept at her pace until she felt someone grab her and pull her back into the alley that she had just passed. She opened her mouth to scream but another hand covered her mouth. She looked at her surroundings to notice a group of thugs, all smirking.  
  
"She's a good one. Isn't she the governor's daughter?" one man said.  
  
"We could get some good money out of this chick. Of course," another man, probably her age, licked his lips hungrily. "I'd prefer to have some fun before we put the ransom up. What do you guys say?"  
  
They all cheered and exchanged high fives. Rinoa tried to struggle against her captor's grip but she couldn't get away from them. A hand roamed near her chest, pulling her shirt up over her head and everyone laughed harder. Tears sprung to her eyes as little by little her clothes were stripped away from her body until she was just in her undergarments. _No, this can't be happening. I must be dreaming . . . where are my friends? Someone help me . . ._  
  
"Please . . . leave me alone . . ." she sobbed to herself, her eyes clenched shut.  
  
"Oh c'mon, join in the fun, _princess_. We won't hurt you that bad if you cooperate. We promise you'll enjoy yourself," the biggest man whispered in her ear, running a hand down her arm and onto her tanned stomach. He hungrily kissed and nipped at her neck, reaching around roughly to unbuckle her bra, everyone sneering around her. Rinoa screamed as loud as she could yet received a slap across the face. "We don't want to hurt you, so shut up and listen to what we say."  
  
"Hey, what are you guys doing?" someone yelled from the sidewalk outside the alley. All the men looked up and scattered, leaving a half- naked Rinoa alone on the ground. She shivered as a hand rested on her shoulder. "Are you ok?"  
  
Rinoa slowly lifted her head to see Squall staring hard into her eyes. She sat up quickly to possibly run away but instead collapsed back into Squall's chest, crying. Not sure what to do, he pushed her slightly off of him and picked up her clothes around them, handing them to her. "Put these on," he turned away so she could dress. Rinoa sat in shock for a few moments, jolted from her daze when Squall called out to her again. "What's taking you so long? Hurry up and get dressed!" When she was finally re- clothed, he helped her stand and looked at her one last time, making sure she was alright. "Now we're even," he murmured.  
  
Footsteps reverberated off the building and stopped at the entrance of the alleyway. "Rinoa! Rinoa, what are you doing down there?" Selphie cried out, running toward the pair with Seifer and Zell trailing after her. Seifer pried Squall away from Rinoa, staring at him with hatred.  
  
"Did you touch my girlfriend?" he spoke softly, his hand still gripping the other teen's arm.  
  
Squall rolled his eyes and started to walk away. "I was only doing your job. You're supposed to protect her. Next time she's getting raped, try to do a better job in ensuring her safety."  
  
Zell's jaw dropped as he glanced at Rinoa. "Raped? You mean . . ."  
  
"No Tattoo Boy, they didn't get that far but they were pretty damn close. The local thugs dragged her back here and tried to take advantage of her," Squall explained and tread away calmly.  
  
"Oh, Rinoa! Are you ok? Please tell me you're ok!" Selphie shook her friend.  
  
Zell searched around the area. "Where's the security of this place? Why didn't they help out?"  
  
"Rinoa, please . . . talk to me. Rinoa, are you even there?" pleaded Seifer, waving his hand in her face to attempt to get her attention. "Please . . . Rinoa talk to me! Guys, we need to get her help. Why isn't she talking?"  
  
Rinoa kept her gaze on the president's son as everyone around her tried to get her to speak. Their voices became distant and her eyesight went from faded to black as she felt herself fall into a dark abyss, everyone around her screaming.

* * *

"She's coming to . . ." a male voice announced. Rinoa groaned and slowly opened her eyes to reveal that she was in a white room. She was lying on a very uncomfortable bed, possibly in the school's infirmary. Rinoa sat up quickly, gasping heavily as if she was coming up from underwater after a long period of time. "Woah, woah, missy. You need your rest. Don't worry; no one will hurt you now. We alerted your father. You have great friends. They brought you here after you fainted. They told me that they were going to come by here during their lunch hour. You should be alright by the end of the day," informed the nurse. He smiled and patted her hand gently before pulling the curtains around her bed and closing the door.  
  
The silence was unbearable. Flashes of earlier kept invading the girl's head and replaying before her and she wanted nothing more than to forget everything. _It could have been worse. You could have actually been raped. You got off lucky._  
  
"So why do I feel that everything's my fault?!" she screamed, balling the sheets in her fists as tears fell down her cheeks. She felt so dirty yet at the same time wondered why. She heard the door open and fell suddenly back onto the bed, closing her eyes and concentrating on keeping her breathing at an equal rate. She wasn't in the mood for talking to anyone, especially her friends.  
  
"She might have fallen back asleep. Please don't attempt to wake her, alright?" the nurse instructed, pulling the curtain back. There was silence and then Seifer's voice mumbling under his breath  
  
"I should have saved her. She probably hates me now . . . how could this happen to my angel?" she heard his voice cracking as he tried desperately to gain some sort of composure. "When she wakes up again, please tell her I came by. Please?"  
  
"Yes, Seifer. I'll make sure she knows. Now get to lunch, we can't have you milling around here."  
  
The curtain was pulled back once more and the door shut softly. Rinoa's eyes popped back open. Unexpectedly, Rinoa felt ready to throw up. Throwing the covers back, she dashed to the nearby restroom, flung herself over the porcelain toilet and threw up until there was only dry heaves. 

* * *

Author's note: I can FINALLY post this chapter after my internet has been down for the past week. Nothing really to say. I'm kind of having writer's block at the moment (I'm currently writing chapter 6). I know where the story's headed, however I'm not sure really how to get it there at the moment. Hopefully something will come to my head soon. .

Alright now, time for the reader reviews!

**Holy Aerith**: Aw, thanks. I guess I'm pretty good. I don't like sounding concieted, lol. Trust me, with some work and stuff, you'd be surprised at how well you can write after a while. .

**DBH:** Ah, yes. Squall really isn't one for dances, no? lol, we'll see what happens between him and Rinoa though and how he _really_ feels about dances.

**Dark Angels**: Thanks, your reviews really make my day. . I really don't know what else to say. Thanks for always reviewing. Teehee!

**Evan's Rinoa**: Of course I'll check out your fanfic. It looks quite interesting, if I do say so myself. The only bad thing about summer vacation is that sometimes I get sidetracked and I end up doing other things and going other places. So, look forward to a review from me sometime in the future.

**I hope I didn't offend anyone with this chapter. If so, I'm terribly sorry.**


	5. The Esthar City Annual Ball

.::. Eyes on Me.::.

.::.Chapter 5.::.

Rinoa stood in her room, staring noiselessly outside her window over her father's land that the lawn staff were hired to take care of. Rinoa bit her nails nervously, not really caring that she had just gotten a manicure that afternoon. Her eyes searched anxiously for anything to possibly divert her attention from the movie that played in her head of the incident the other day. She angrily brushed a tear away, desperately trying to hide her pain. A knock at the door startled the girl as her father opened it slightly, sticking his head inside. "Rinoa, dear? You almost ready to go? The limo driver is waiting for us." He stepped inside the room and walked over to his daughter. "Rinoa, sweetheart. Are you sure you're alright? I can't possibly believe that, after what happened, you're ok."

"Daddy, I'm fine. I really am. I'll be down in few minutes. Let me just grab my shoes and purse." Rinoa convinced, moving around her father and grabbing her purse and shoes. Governor Caraway raised an eyebrow yet concieded defeat and headed downstairs to wait for his daughter. Rinoa slowly put her shoes on and stared hard in the ground. She didn't want to go to this ball, but Seifer was already gone and everyone else thought she was going to be there. Sighing, Rinoa brushed a strand of hair from her face, held her chin up and went downstairs to the limo.

* * *

The limo pulled up to the Ball's entrance. When the driver opened the door, Rinoa cautiously stepped out, suddenly bombarded with paparazzi and photographers. Everyone was in her face and throwing out so many questions, it made her dizzy. In an instant, Rinoa felt her father's hand grip her around the arm, helping her though the masses of people, hoarding off anyone who stood in their way. Then there was no more struggle and she had felt her father release her. He smiled down at her. "Well, now that we've survived that, I'm sure this party won't be so bad," he joked. Rinoa forced a grin and stood on her tiptoes to kiss her father before going off to find her friends.

Rinoa clutched her purse and noticed a couple standing by the punch bowl, gazing at each other lovingly. She made her way over to them. "Selphie, Irvine! It's great you guys could make it!"

"Hey Rin! Glad you could come out as well. You know, we've been awfully worried about you. Are you alright?" asked Irvine. Rinoa paused, wondering whether to tell the truth or lie in order to cause no alarm. She chose the second choice and faked a smile.

"I'm fine. I'm just grateful that Squall had shown up when he did."

Selphie gave her friend a hug and held her by the shoulders. "You know you can talk to us if you need anything. Just call us and we'll be there."

Rinoa grabbed her friend's hand off her shoulder and held a finger up to signal to Irvine they'd be right back. When they were out of earshot range, desperate to change subjects, the Governor's daughter smirked and raised an eyebrow. "So what's going on between you and Irvine?"

Selphie cocked her head to one side, then it finally registered what she had just been asked and started jumping up and down excitedly. "We're back together!" the brunette squealed. Her hair was pulled back into a bun with a few loose strands around her face. It complimented her sparkling green strapless dress that cascaded down around her feet. In short, Selphie looked stunning; quite different from her usual perky self.

"Really? I thought he was with Evelyn. What happened?"

"Well, turns out, she wanted to hook up with one of his friends so she asked him for help! He brought me a bouquet of pink and white roses and now we're here! Isn't that great?" explained Selphie, dancing from foot to foot in ecstacy. Rinoa looked up over her friend's shoulder to get a glimpse of Irvine, only to find him chatting up a storm with another girl.

"Selph . . . I don't mean to burst your bubble, but who's Irvine talking to now?" Selphie looked behind her and her face fell immediately at the sight.

"That no-good whore! What's Victoria talking to Irvine for? Her own man doesn't like her so now she has to go for mine?? IRVINE YOU GET. . ." Her voice trailed off as she stormed over to her boyfriend and the girl, both equally shocked at her outburst. Rinoa giggled to herself and strolled off, examining everything around her. Everyone had their hair done with dresses that must have cost a fortune or tuxedos that were crisp and handsome. A tune was being played on the piano and couples were already on the dance floor waltzing gracefully with their partners. Those who weren't dancing were sitting at one of the many tables gossiping and drinking their champagne.

The dark haired teen stood off to the side, feeling a bit lonely without anyone to talk to or hang out with. She crossed her arms self-conciously and lowered her head. It was then that Rinoa flashed back to yesterday afternoon. The men ripping her clothes off, leering over her as their perverted minds raced with what to do with their prey first.

Rinoa snapped her head up quickly and darted to the nearest door which led out to the garden. Her heart raced and she tried to find desperately a way to get away from the dance. It seemed like she couldn't escape this nightmare. Giving up, Rinoa plopped down on the stone ledge around a large fountain. She leaned forward and placed her face in her hands, trying to erase the horrible memory.

A cough startled Rinoa's thoughts and she jumped up hastily, prepared to scream. Instead, she took a deep breath and counted to three slowly, knowing that it couldn't be anyone who wanted to hurt her. She inched slowly around the fountain and saw the silhouette of a boy her age. In fact, it was Squall. Rinoa exhaled and crossed her arms over her chest. "What're you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside?"

Squall barely glimpsed at the girl and shrugged. "That's hypocritical, don't you think? Besides, there are far to many people in there for anyone to notice that I'm out here."

Rinoa smiled, knowing what he meant. "Squall . . . um . . . I know we're not exactly the best of friends . . . but what happened yesterday . . . . well . . . I just wanted to say . . . ." she paused when he reached into his tuxedo and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, pulling a single cigarette out and placing it in the side of his mouth while lighting it with his lighter. He took a drag and blew the smoke out, finally daring to look in Rinoa's direction. "Hope you don't mind, I haven't had one all day."

Rinoa shook her head and almost began to speak again when Squall took a drink of what looked like champagne and she had to ask, "Does the President know you smoke? Or drink?"

He smirked and took another drag. "My father doesn't know anything about my life. I've been smoking since I was fifteen and drinking for who knows how long. It really isn't that big of a deal and because I'm the president's son anyway, it's quite easy to get a pack of cigs or a drink."

She rolled her eyes. "It's not very attractive, you know."

Squall growled deep in his throat. "And you care why? Look, what I do with myself is none of your concern. Now if all you're going to do is lecture me, then leave me the hell alone. Go get drunk with your friends or sleep with your boyfriend, alright?" hissed Squall, rising to his feet and getting within inches of Rinoa's face. She could see his eyes were dark with fury, but she didn't expect less from him. However, she wasn't going to back down from his comments.

"You think you know everyone and you think that you're the best simply because you are someone's son. You know what I think? I think you're a sad, lonely person who's looking for someone to turn to but only find solace in smoking and drinking, and that's sad in itself. So before you tell me to shut up, maybe you should quit shooting accusations at other people and realize we're not all out to get you!"

The President's son blinked, shocked that someone actually stood up to him. Usually they pretended he was invisible and left him after he made some sarcastic remark. He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and tossed it on the floor, smashing it with the heel of his boot but not before blowing the smoke he held in his lungs out the side of his mouth. "Stupid wench," he muttered, walking back to the stone fountain to take a sip of his champagne with Rinoa following.

"Look, all I wanted was to thank you for yesterday and you're treating me like I'm the worst person on the face of this earth!"

"Because I'm just waiting for you to pull some prank on me or for your friends to beat the shit out of me or something! You've never talked to me before and now we're having a conversation like we've known each other since preschool! So how can I sit back and chat with you when all your friends and you've ever done when you've talked to me is humiliated me?"

Rinoa went quiet and held her breath. She knew it wasn't fair how her friends as well as herself treated Squall but she didn't know how else to approach him. She played with her hands again and looked up again. "There's no prank. There's no one waiting for you. And I'm sorry you think that about me, even if most of the times it's true. . . . and I want to thank you for saving my life yesterday."

The girl waited for a response and started to walk away when she received none. She stopped at the door upon hearing the music and seeing those dancing. She remembered that Seifer wasn't there and she had no one to dance with nor enjoy the night with. So Rinoa turned around and wasn't surprised when she saw Squall with another cigarette in his mouth, looking up at the stars. She sat next to him and looked up as well.

"Great, you're back. Now what?"

"Ok, you shouldn't come to a ball and sit outside all night. I don't have anyone to dance with and I owe it to you to dance with you since you did save my life. No, there's no catch and no one will make fun of you. I promise."

He shook his head. "Sorry, I hate dancing. Go find someone else."

Rinoa was quickly growing annoyed at his lack of emotion or ability to have fun. She pulled the cigarette from his mouth and stomped on it. She grabbed his hand, despite any protest and dragged him inside and onto the dance floor. The girl placed his right hand on her waist and put her right hand on his shoulder while taking his hand in hers, waiting for him to lead. Rinoa noticed her was looking around uncomfortably and it finally dawned on her why he refused to dance.

He didn't hate dancing at all. He just didn't know how!

She smiled to herself and looked him in the eyes. "Alright, follow me," she instructed, counting off the beat and never once looking away. Yet he continued to stumble and step on her feet. Rinoa backed off for a few seconds and giggled. Squall's eyes narrowed and he turned to run back outside but she caught him by the hand. "Look, it's not that bad, alright? Listen to the beat and I'll take it slow. You'll get the hang of it quickly."

"Yeah, but everyone's looking."

Rinoa smiled at his insecureness. "Since when have you been one to care about what people think?"

It really didn't take long at all for Squall to finally catch a rhythm. He became daring and dipped her back and continued dancing with her. When the song began to wind down, so did the couple. Squall held Rinoa rather close to him and she couldn't help but look up at his face, noticing a small smile playing upon his lips.

"Thank you all so much for making it out here tonight! It's an honor to see so many people here. We worked hard to decorate this place, especially my daughter, Rinoa. So would you please come up here Rinoa and receive your round of applause?" General Caraway held up a champagne-filled glass toward the ceiling and motioned for his daughter to come up on stage. Rinoa's eyes widened yet she still came forward, leaving her dance partner behind. She hadn't realized, as she gazed out over the crowd, how many people really HAD shown up. The teen could just barely see Squall nod in her direction and push his way back out into the garden, looking a little upset for some reason. Rinoa just waved modestly, eager to get back on the floor and not the center of attention.

However, when she did make it down the stairs and onto the floor, a larger man stood in her way and the girl backed a few steps. Clad in an expensive designer tuxedo was Seifer, looking extraordinarily radiant. Rinoa squealed at the sight of her boyfriend and jumped into his arms, breathing in his cologne. "I thought you were at Balamb!"

"I was, but I got out early to surprise you. I couldn't leave you here alone. Oh, and I got you a corsage. I didn't know your dress color, so I just got you blue," he revealed a blue-rose corsage decorated with baby's breath and a iridescent ribbon. The blonde placed it around her wrist and Rinoa couldn't stop admiring its beauty. She almost missed when Seifer asked, "So, will you dance with me?"

Rinoa looked past Seifer and tried to see if she could find Squall outside. Not finding him, she linked her arm through her boyfriend's as he led her onto the dance floor. Yet she couldn't shake this feeling she had deep inside her, whatever it was.

* * *

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Yeah, I know it's not the chapter you've been waiting for. Even worse, I haven't even started it. I reread this chapter and absolutely hated it. It went too fast and I felt that Rinoa and her friends were a bit too happy after she was almost raped. Anyway, I know this is a little fast as well, but it gives it a more realistic tone. By the way, it was really hard to write the scene between Rinoa and Squall. I had Squall offering her a cigarette at first, then the second time around I had her snatching the cigarette from Squall's mouth and smoking it herself. Finally I settled on this.

I'm not doing Reviews today. Next chapter I will. I've been very very VERY busy with school and work and SATs and stuff.

Tell me what you thought about this chapter and if I should add something or whatnot. Your reviews are greatly appriciated!

xoxo

Starlight4u


	6. Stress

.:.Eyes On Me.:.

.:.Chapter Six.:.

"So, what's this I hear about you dancing with Squall Leonheart? Rinny, c'mon, you're holding back on me!" Zell prodded, a smirk slowly creeping across his face. Rinoa put down her pencil and looked at her friend with a hint of annoyance. Somehow, word had gotten out that Rinoa was seen with Squall and she spent the whole day denying the accusations, hoping that Seifer had not heard yet. Yet she really couldn't hide anything from Zell. He had, after all, known her since preschool.

"I was just saying thank you for saving my life. It's not a crime, you know."

The overzealous teen shook his head and smiled. "Sure, Rinoa. Just _thanking_ him. You might want to keep that bit of info away from Seifer though. Wouldn't want him knowing that you danced with his worst enemy. He's a bit dense though. I'm sure he won't know."

Rinoa rolled her eyes and turned back to her math work which was due by the end of the period. Seifer was at his desk doing his work as well. Rinoa knew that Zell wasn't fond of Seifer and only put up with him since he was her boyfriend. She still felt uncomfortable, though, when they bashed each other constantly. "Seifer's smart. It wouldn't surprise me if he became valedictorian of our class. I hope that he still doesn't find out, though."

Zell noticed her uneasiness and sought to change the subject. "So, speaking of Seifer, did he talk to you about Balamb?"

Rinoa sighed. "He really loved it there. He's going back one more time just to make sure its what he wants to do. Zell, I don't want him to leave."

"Rinny, you can't keep him tied down here in Esthar forever. As much as I hate that blonde son-of-a-," Zell stopped short when he glanced at Rinoa's face. "As much as I hate Seifer, I know that he needs to focus on his future and you do too. Seifer wants to become a SeeD, one of the best branches of military that is offered. You should be proud that your boyfriend wants to become one."

The girl brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and shrugged sadly. Zell squeezed her shoulder and sat back in his seat, not pressing the conversation anymore. He came to know that Rinoa became very emotional about the fact that her long-term boyfriend was soon leaving for the military and he tried hard to avoid the subject. Thus, he changed topics. "So, I had fun while you guys were at the Dance."

Rinoa smiled and said, "Ok, I know where you're going with this. You want me to ask what you did. Zell, what did you do while we were at the Dance?"

"Well, while you all were having the best nights of your lives, I was at my Tae Kwon Do testing, earning my last stripe on my black belt." Zell puffed his chest out in pride. "You are now looking at the next Jackie Chan."

"So . . . is that good?" Asked a very clueless Rinoa who did not know the first thing about Martial Arts.

Zell laughed. "Yes, that is good. It means that I'm the best of the best and I can kick your ass."

Suddently, the classroom door opened and Squall sauntered in, late as always, wearing his usual black attire. Rinoa brought her eyes to see who walked in and immediately regretted it. She felt all eyes were darting back and forth between her and Squall to see their interactions with each other. Rinoa sunk far into her seat, turning bright red. The teacher shook his head in disappointment but not once did he ask for a hall pass of some sort. Squall never had a hall pass.

When Squall sat down, Rinoa couldn't help but feel a bit hurt that he did not once look her way or show any sign that the Esthar City ball had even occurred. She looked at him for anything at all but found nothing except the same angry teen that she was used to seeing everyday.

* * *

When the lunch bell rang, Squall stalked toward the outskirts of the school where he knew no one would find him. He sat on the bright green and freshly cut grass and pulled out a cigarette, placing it in his mouth and lighting it. He needed to get away from all the talk that was circulating the hallways about the Esthar City Annual Ball. Everyone now assumed that Squall and Rinoa were a couple. Squall and Rinoa were dating. Squall and Rinoa. Squall and Rinoa. Squall and Rinoa. He certainly had no idea that one stupid dance would pair him up with the most popular girl in school.

Squall looked over his shoulder. From where he was sitting he could clearly see Rinoa and her group of friends laughing and getting a kick out of something that Irvine had just said. The President's son took another drag of his cigarette and smashed it into the ground afterwards. He couldn't see himself fitting in with the likes of . . . _them_. They were preppy and stylish and had a picture perfect family. Squall scoffed at his thoughts. Where did that leave him? Oh yes. The outcast with a father who was always away on business and a mother six feet under. Rinoa even had a boyfriend, so why was there still talk about them being the new "It Couple"?

Done with his pondering, Squall stood up and started to walk back to the school when his eye caught Rinoa's. For a moment, time stood still. He narrowed his eyes and continued walking, not once looking back to see if she was still staring. Squall had no feelings for her. He never even spoke to her until recently. He was sure that she didn't even know he existed until they were paired up to be math buddies or whatever it was.

The only good thing that came out of that night was the fact that someone in the Godforsaken school had appreciated what he had done for them and thanked him for it. Nothing more, nothing less. Squall chuckled to himself as he reached the entrance to the school. He hated her group. He could even go so far as to say he hated her. There was nothing between them.

As he placed his hand on the door handle to enter the school, he had another idea. He pulled back suddenly and walked to his car. Without thinking, Squall started the engine and peeled out of the parking lot and off to some unknown destination.

* * *

"So then I said, 'Why don't you just use the door that says push?'" Irvine guffawed, retelling a story that had happened the day before which involved an old woman and door. Selphie, Zell, Rinoa and Seifer were among those who found the story quite hilarious. Rinoa was nestled safely in Seifer's arms. He never let her out of his sight since the incident but Rinoa didn't mind. She liked knowing that she was always safe.

While everyone was laughing, Rinoa saw something dark out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look and spotted none other than Squall Leonheart trekking across the field to the school. She felt something almost like an electric spark between them or something. He looked very nervous or agitated over something. Rinoa watched him until he turned away and rounded the corner to the front of the school and out of sight. When the governor's daughter turned back to her friends, she smiled sheepishly as they were all looking at her, almost like they had been for some time.

"Sorry, I saw this outfit on a girl and I thought it was really cute," she casually lied.

Zell snickered. "I knew it! Rinoa's a lesbian! Seifer's got double the competition now!"

"Shut the hell up, Chicken-wuss. Just because you're a black belt does not mean I can't kick your ass some other way," threatened Seifer.

"Sheesh you two! Can you two go just _one_ day without arguing?" Selphie sighed, exasperated. Rinoa gave an angry glare to Zell but her face faltered when she saw his. He knew what she had been looking at. She suddenly turned away, feeling ashamed for something she knew she shouldn't be ashamed of. All Rinoa wanted to do was thank Squall for saving her and now it was a public affair. It didn't seem fair that if she was caught glancing at the president's son that it was wrong and immoral or it meant that there was some love involvement.

Zell stood up and brushed his pants off slowly, occasionally his eyes passing over Rinoa. "I'm going to get a soda or something from the vending machine. Rinny, don't be looking at other girls now, you hear?" he joked but only Rinoa picked up the dryness in his comment. She winced.

"Better quit calling my girl a lesbian. She's with me, remember? Maybe you need to be reminded-."

"Enough! Zell and Seifer, shut up! You two are so obnoxious sometimes. I'm not a freaking lesbian and I'd appreciate it if you'd quit calling me one," Rinoa exclaimed, jumping up from Seifer's grasp around her waist and storming off. For once, Rinoa wanted nothing to do with her friends. She walked to where she had seen Squall earlier and noticed his cigarette butt in the ground. Stomping on it angrily, she looked up into the sky and screamed.

Author's note- Wow, such a short chapter. It's setting up for future events. I guess I should explain my lengthy hiatus. Well, I had my AP class to study for, SATs coming up and final exams (which I managed to exempt most of). I also had problems with my personal life (I.E. Friends, boyfriend, etc.) that really wouldn't allow me much time to write this. Now that summer vacation is here, I should be able to write a bit more. I would have posted the chapter this past week but my birthday pretty much lasted the entire week (I continued to get presents and parties and friend get-togethers) so that prevented that as well.

Again, I'm so terribly sorry for the short chapter and the long wait. I'm hoping that this wait won't be as long. If it makes you feel any better, I managed to get the rest of the storyline all written out so I know how the story goes and ends. Please read and review. The reviews are greatly appriciated. .

xoxo


	7. Somber

.:.Eyes On Me.:.

.:.Chapter 7.:.

The room was dark as Squall laid in his bed, his hands resting behind his head. Save for a few of the maids bustling around and cleaning, the room was silent. Squall had been home for a few hours now after he drove off from school. The phone rang about an hour ago and one of the butlers had picked up. Of course they had to tell the President everything when it came to school. He was waiting for the door to open anytime now and for his father to come in and ask why he was skipping school again.

"Squall Leonheart! Get down here now!" a voice boomed over the house's intercom system.

Well, maybe he was wrong about the door opening bit.

Squall sighed and pushed himself off of his bed and plodded downstairs where Laguna was waiting, looking quite irate. "What do you want? I thought you were out by Balamb for the week," Squall asked.

"You thought wrong. What's this I hear about you skipping the second half of school today?"

Squall turned to walk back upstairs when Laguna yelled, "Get back down here young man!"

He stopped in his tracks and began to snicker sardonically. He turned around and directed his attention to the man at the bottom of the stairs. "Oh, please. You've been out of my life more than you have been in it. You've bribed me to get everything _you_ want. Now when everything's starting to look bleak, you want to act like a father to me. It's a little late for that, _Mr. President_. Don't you agree? Quit trying to act like you actually care about me because, even if everyone else can't see it, I can. You don't care. You only care about yourself." The teen stomped back up the stairs and into his room, slamming the door shut behind him. He opened his sock drawer and pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit one up while sitting next to an open window. From where he was sitting he could see Esthar Academy. A few of the sports teams were winding down their practices while other teachers were leaving to go home after a hard days work teaching.

"Didn't know you picked up smoking," a voice murmured behind him. Squall jumped and muttered a few curses before realizing who it was. Laguna stood against a wall with his arms crossed.

The president's son smirked. "There's a lot you don't know about me then," leered Squall, stubbing the cigarette on the ledge and closing his window as he mimicked his father's actions and crossed his arms over his chest while leaning against the opposite wall.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why do you always have to be so damn difficult? Always skipping school, going places without my permission and now I find that you're smoking? What, are you having sex, too?"

"No, I'm still a virgin. No one wants to screw the antisocial freak."

"That was a rhetorical question, you know," Laguna pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes in thought. "I don't know what to do anymore, Squall. I guess your mother took care of you so much that when she left I didn't know how to take care of you."

Squall shrugged and moved to sit on his bed. Laguna ran his hand through his hair and shook his head almost in defeat. "I'm sorry, but you can't come into my life and expect me to be all buddy-buddy with you," the angsty teen whispered. He rose to his feet and walked passed Laguna, scoffing in his face before continuing out of his room. Laguna heard the door open and close downstairs and the loud squealing of the tires on the pavement peel out of the driveway.

* * *

The curtains were drawn and a romantic mood was set. Seifer and Rinoa were on her bed, kissing passionately yet at a slow pace. He let his hand wander up her shirt and feel her soft, pale skin. Rinoa tensed up and Seifer sensed it, pulling his hand back and leaning back on his elbows. His shirt was off, exposing his defined stomach and tanned body. Rinoa, however, was fully dressed. Seifer had tried for the past half hour, unsuccessfully, to get her to loosen up.

"What now, baby?" the blonde exhaled, frustrated by now.

Rinoa bit her lower lip nervously and laid her head on her boyfriend's chest. She could feel him stroking her hair. "I . . . I'm so sorry. I can't. Not after everything else. I can't seem to get them out of my head."

"We've done stuff before. I mean, it's not anything new between me and you. You trust me, don't you?"

"I trust you but-," Rinoa was silenced by a kiss from Seifer. She closed her eyes and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck. She knew she had to get over what happened. Seifer would never do anything to hurt her. Instead, she thought of previous times they had been together. A romantic getaway at Trabia last summer, a day in the city, a bunch of men trying to get their way with you. "Stop!"

Seifer jumped back, hitting his head on her headboard as he tried to lay back. Rubbing where he bumped it, he sat back up and eyed her. "Rinoa, what the hell is wrong with you? Sheesh, can't even kiss you without you freaking out. I could get any girl and fuck her brains out but I choose to stay with you. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Rinoa narrowed her eyes and looked at her boyfriend almost as if for the first time. "Oh yeah? I could get any guy if I wanted but I stay with some stuck-up, snotty, asshole who makes fun of my friends and doesn't care about his girlfriend!"

"I don't need this shit. Screw you. Can't believe I've stuck around with you for almost three years and got nothing out of it," Seifer bellowed, collecting his clothes and wallet and leaving Rinoa on the bed. She leapt up and followed him to the door.

"Fine! I don't want to be with you anyway! You won't last one day without me!" she screeched, slamming the door and kicking it with her foot as hard as she could in anger.

"What on earth is going on out here?" Governor Caraway cried, coming out of his office. Rinoa made eye contact, shook her head, and ran back to her bedroom as tears trailed down her face. She collapsed onto her bed and sobbed deep in her pillow.

Governor Caraway door opened and inched inside the room. Rinoa continued to cry even when her dad took her in his arms and allowed her to sob in his shoulder. "He broke up with me."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry-."

Rinoa pushed away from him. "The thing is, I still love him. I can't seem to get my mind off of him, no matter what. He's so arrogant and conceited and rude but to me he's so sweet and loveable and romantic. I hate being in love."

Caraway brushed a tear from under her eye and smiled sadly at her. "I know these last few days have been rough on you. I wish I could help you. Unfortunately, I don't know how. That's something your mom was good at. Always helping people and comforting them, that was her favorite thing for her to do."

Her face crumpled and she fell into a heap into her father's chest. "I miss mom. I wish she was here again. Why the hell did she have to leave us? Leaving me to go on without her help or laughter or anything. I feel so dead now that she's gone!"

Caraway cradled her and kissed her on her head. "I know. You've just gotta keep going on with your life. I wish everyday I could see her again. It's hard on both of us, but I know it's even worse for you. I know every girl needs her mom and I'm sorry I'm not always the person you can talk to," he soothed.

For the next moments, Caraway held his daughter until her breathing steadied and he knew she had fallen asleep. He laid her back onto her bed and covered her up in her sheets. Slowly, he made his way out of the bedroom and back to his office. Peace was restored in the Caraway household but the somberness was still there.

* * *

Author's Note: I'm getting so incredibly bad at this! My chapters are so short. My apologies. I have no idea why I can't make them longer. I guess I hate to think that they might get boring if I drag them out longer. Anyway, you know the drill. Read and review. I love my reviews! . BC, I have my outline saved on my livejournal as a private entry, so I know I won't lose it. Thanks! Thanks to my other loyal reviewers who have been here since the beginning. You all are the ones who are keeping me going! 


	8. Anger

**Eyes On Me**

**Chapter 8**

As soon as she stepped out of the limo, the campus became silent as all eyes fell on her. Rinoa knew they were talking about the famous Seifer/Rinoa breakup. Rinoa kept her eyes down and continued walking when she bumped into a tall figure. Squall looked down upon the girl and narrowed his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. I'm so sorr-."

"Come with me." Rinoa stepped back a bit, almost surprised at the demand in Squall's voice. Nonetheless, she followed him, no questions asked, to his car. She stared at it for quite some time before Squall said, "Are you just going to stand there or are you getting in?"

"Isn't this skipping school?"

Squall rolled his eyes and opened his door. "Get in or I'm leaving you behind. I know you don't want to be here today."

"That's true," replied Rinoa as she too stepped in the car. Squall revved the engine and pulled out of the school parking lot. As he drove, Rinoa noticed the buildings becoming more sparse and trees much more plentiful. She began to wonder where on earth they were headed but Rinoa wasn't one to ask Squall anything. She noticed Squall reaching into his glove compartment and pulling out a fresh pack of cigarettes and lighting one up. He noticed Rinoa's uneasiness right away.

"What's the matter, princess? Daddy not going to like that you smell like smoke and that you're skipping school?"

"No, I don't like that you're smoking. It's not that big of a deal, but still. . ." she shrugged. What surprised her most though was when Squall flicked his cigarette out the window and rolled the window back up almost like nothing had happened. "I didn't say you had to put your cigarette out," mumbled Rinoa.

"I don't like people uncomfortable around me. If you don't want me smoking, I won't smoke around you."

Rinoa played with her hands and looked down, slightly blushing. "Thanks, I guess." Another long silence followed but it was interrupted when the car slowed to a stop in front of what looked like a church. Rinoa turned and studied Squall carefully but he still remained stoic. He opened his door and stepped out, standing by his car and looking over his surroundings. Rinoa joined him on his side of the car yet she was still clueless as to why they were there in the first place.

Squall must have sensed her confusion because just seconds later he started toward the church and motioned for her to follow, calling over his shoulder, "I'll show you why we're here." Squall ventured around the church to the field in the back where rows upon rows of tombstones littered the area. Rinoa suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. Now she remembered why she always avoided Squall. He was seriously creeping her out.

Squall continued past many of the rows until he reached almost the middle of the graveyard and veered right where a modest tombstone was placed. He stopped before it but Rinoa knelt to read what it said.

"Raine Leonheart. Beloved wife and mother. R.I.P," Rinoa realized finally why they were there. "Your mom. This is your mother's grave."

Squall sat beside the girl and traced the letters on the tombstone. "She died a while back. Laguna tries not to remember her cause I see it hurts him too much. I come here almost every morning to put flowers down or just to say hi. Sometimes I drive here when I get angry, though I don't realize I'm driving here until I actually arrive."

Rinoa stared at the grave marker when she felt the urge to say, "Why are you showing me this, Squall? You were giving me the death glare just the other day and now you're sitting here with me before your mother's grave, spilling your life to someone you've stated time and time again you'd never trust."

Squall snickered and looked up at the sky. "I knew you didn't want to be in that hellhole of a school knowing everyone was talking about you about something petty. I didn't want to stay and you were the first person I saw."

"You all of a sudden like me?"

"No, I still think you're a spoiled bitch. If you'd like to go home, that's just fine with me."

"No, that's ok. I'm just curious as to why you brought me."

"Whatever."

Rinoa rolled her eyes at his lack of words and found herself staring back at grave. Over and over she read the words engraved on the tombstone and she suddenly felt suffocated. Memories of her own mother flooded her thoughts in rapid succession, causing Rinoa to stand suddenly and stumble back a few steps and Squall to eye her, annoyed. "What the hell is your problem?"

"I've got to get out of here. I can't stay here any longer," she choked out, running past the rows of graves and out to the front of the church, continuing past the car and down the road. She didn't know where she was running to. The school, after all, was well over an hour away from where they were. Finally, with the church out of sight, the teen collapsed onto the pavement and pounded the ground angrily. "What did I do to deserve this? I didn't ask to be left alone! I want you back, mom. Why did you leave me?" Rinoa moaned out loud. Her cries turned to screams and her fist was becoming a bloody mess.

A car was approaching from behind but Rinoa made no attempt to move herself from the road. It stopped behind her and Squall stepped out, slamming the door and yanking her up. "You know, I didn't want to bring a fucking basketcase. What is your problem now?"

Rinoa pried herself from his grip and pushed away from his chest. "You don't give a damn about what anyone says! You don't give a damn about anyone! Yet here I am with the biggest loser in Esthar Academy and he has the _audacity_ to call _me_ a basketcase! You don't know me nor my problems, so keep your nose out of it!"

Squall scoffed. "Stupid girl . . . you have daddy's credit card and you're daddy's girl and you still whine about how you don't have everything-."

"Daddy this, daddy that! Everything is about daddy! I want my mom! I miss having my mom and my mom's love and my mom's homebaked cookies and my mom's jewelry! I have to go through my senior year without her and my college years without her and the rest of my life without her!"

Rinoa buried her face in Squall's chest and grabbed hard at his black jacket. Squall was taken aback. He had no idea what to do in this situation. Never in his life had a girl cried in his chest. And this wasn't the first time she had done this. The time he saved her from the rape ordeal was different as well. He remembered when his mother had been upset that Laguna would hold her until she stopped crying. Squall didn't want to get caught up in Rinoa and he knew by hugging her that it was one step closer to reaching something he wasn't looking to reach. Yet Rinoa was in pain and she needed someone and it wasn't like that no-good ex-boyfriend was there to comfort her. So Squall tentatively raised his hands and wrapped them around her small body.

Rinoa stopped crying immediately and registered what was happening. Squall was holding her. The Squall Leonheart was holding her. Yet it didn't feel awkward to her or anything. In fact, it felt more comforting and peaceful being held by Squall then it ever did being held by Seifer.

After what seemed like forever, Rinoa felt his arms fall away from her body and she looked up at his face. She barely heard him say, "We should get going." The girl nodded and both silently walked back to the car. The ride home was completely silent but for some reason, the pair felt no need to interrupt that silentness.

Since school was about to end, Rinoa just stated that Squall could drop her off at her house. She knew that her dad wouldn't have been pleased to see her home so early and she was positive that he had gotten a phone call already, asking for an explaination to her absence. When he pulled up to her house, she muttered a thank you and stepped out of the car, softly closing the door behind her. Rinoa watched as he sped down the road back home. When he was completely out of sight, she walked inside only to find her father sitting on the couch with an angry expression upon his face.

"Rinoa Heartilly, where have you been? The school called here stating you did not show up to any of your classes and here you are, almost an hour early."

"I didn't feel well," she lied and started up the stairs to her room, not wanting to explain much more.

Governor Caraway stood up and marched toward her. "Listen here, young lady. I don't care how much you've gone through in the past week. But missing school is not tolerated in this household, do you understand me?"

Rinoa lowered her eyes shamefully, feeling her father's disappointment radiate through the room. "It won't happen again. Promise."

Her father shook his head. "I want you to come straight home from school everyday for the next week. There will be no phone, no internet or going out with friends. You will come home and finish your homework as well as helping me with whatever I need done around this house, you hear me? This is your senior year, Rinoa. We can't have you screwing up your future. Now go to your room."

As she began up to her room, her father cleared his throat and held his hand out for her cell phone. She removed it from her purse and placed it in his hand. She continued to her room and shut the door behind her. Although she was mad that she got in trouble, nothing could compare to the happiness she felt over the hug that afternoon she shared with Squall.

Suddenly she widened her eyes and realized just what she was thinking. Why on earth was she happy that she hugged Squall? This wasn't right at all. They were two totally different people. Besides, wasn't she still hung up on Seifer?

Rinoa laughed to herself. She was probably just upset that her and Seifer had broken up. The Governor's daughter laid down on her bed and fell asleep, hoping that some shut-eye was what she needed.

* * *

Author's note: Hey everyone! Another late update. My summer vacation is over so I might get back into writing this. I wanted to chill out for the summer. I hope you understand. This chapter was quite hard for me to write but I'm hoping it gets easier with time. Also, if anyone finds any mistakes within my chapters, please let me know. Sometimes I forget what has already happened so I write to the best of my memory. Anyway, you know the drill. Read and review and look forward to the next chapter! 


	9. Reconcile

**Eyes On Me**

**Chapter 9**

Rinoa and Selphie leaned against a wall before school was set to start, books in their arms and their eyes shifting back and forth, watching as their classmates played and talked on the front lawn. Selphie sighed and twirled a piece of chocolate hair around her finger until it was taut before she unwound it and it fell back into the rest of her gorgeous, brown locks. "Are you going to say anything?" asked Selphie.

"What is there to say?"

"Oh, I don't know. Why all of a sudden you're not afraid of being seen with Loner Boy, why you're skipping class, why-."

"Give it a rest, Selph. You skip class all the time to have sex with Irvine."

Selphie's eyes widened considerably and her hand flew to cover her mouth which was wide open. "We do _not_ have sex! I'll have you know I'm a virgin!" she whispered harshly. Rinoa let a snicker escape through her lips and she nodded in mock agreement, knowing full well that Selphie had lost her virginity to Irvine at a party two years back. Selphie tried to deny it by saying she had been drunk at the time, but Rinoa could not recall Selphie even touching a drink that night.

"He isn't that bad, you know. It's nice to have someone I know will be a sort of bodyguard while Seifer decides to go sleep with some other slut in the school."

Selphie rolled her eyes and stepped away from the wall she had been leaning on. "I can't believe he did that to you. After everything that happened with you, he should not expect something like that from you so soon," she announced. The bell rang and Rinoa and Selphie looked back at the school, groaning in displeasure. Before they started toward the front doors, a black limo pulled to the front of the school, catching the eyes of everyone still on the front lawn of the campus. The driver stepped out and walked around to open the door.

A stunningly beautiful girl, averaging about eighteen, Rinoa supposed, stepped out of the limo, flashing a smile at the driver. Her blonde hair tumbled down to her waist and a pair of Chanel sunglasses adorned her face. She was very tall, almost as if she were a model. She walked up to the school with such confidence that it seemed to scare some of the students.

"Wow, she's hot!" Selphie exclaimed but she sunk back when Rinoa shot her a dirty look. Rinoa felt strangely threatened. Nonetheless, the pair followed the girl inside. As soon as they entered the building, they had a new problem on their hands.

"Rinoa, wait up!" a male's voice bellowed. The girls turned to come face-to-face with Seifer, breathless after playing a game of football. Selphie cleared her throat and left Rinoa to deal with her ex-boyfriend by herself.

"What is it?" she quipped.

"Rinoa, please, when are you going to forgive me? I'm sorry I said those mean things to you. Can't you just take me back?"

She crossed her arms impatiently and pursed her lips. "That's funny. Last time we talked I thought you told me you could get any girl and I should be lucky to have you. What's the matter, none of the girls good enough?"

The blonde reached and took hold of her hand, surprising her. "Rinoa, I was an idiot. I know I shouldn't have said that. I was horny and I really wanted to have sex with you. I'm sorry!"

"Why are you coming back to me now?" she replied coldly. He let go of her hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. Rinoa scoffed at him while shifting her weight slightly. She knew he only wanted to be with her so he wasn't seen as the only one of his friends who did not have a girlfriend. She turned and started to walk away but Seifer grabbed her arm and she spun back to see his eyes glazed over, surprisingly, with tears.

"Rinoa, I need you in my life. Please don't walk away from me."

She tried to avoid his eyes. The eyes that spoke so much to her that she knew if she looked at them, she'd fall right back in love with him. She sighed dramatically and stared hard at the ground, hoping he'd give up and walk away. He didn't and he moved his hand from her upper arm to her hand and squeezed it, hopeful. Rinoa felt her heart skip a beat and she wanted nothing more than to run.

"Seifer, I can't do this. Don't do this to me. You know you're in the wrong. I can't be with you right now," Rinoa murmured under her breath unsympathetically and pulled her hand away from the blonde boy's hand, turning and walking to her class, not once looking back but knowing in her heart she'd have to face him again soon.

* * *

"Open your text books to page one-ninety three and read the excerpt from The Odyssey. Answer the-," the teacher was interrupted by a loud entrance of an administrator with Squall in tow.

"I found him pulling into the parking lot and figured I'd escort him personally. Kids these days have no concept of time," the administrator barked, shoving Squall into the classroom and storming out with the door shutting behind him.

"Squall, if you could please take your seat. We're on page one-ninety three. As I was saying. . . ."

Rinoa looked up at Squall, catching his eye. Did she detect a smirk? Or was that just her imagination? Rinoa shook her head and turned the page in the textbook. The rest of the period seemed to drag on as Rinoa tried her hardest to pay attention. Soon enough, the bell rang, signaling the end of the class. She sprang from her seat yet calmly made her way to Squall.

"Hey, what's up?"

Squall pushed her aside and walked out the door. Rinoa was perplexed but chased him, thinking he probably didn't hear nor see her. She noticed him by his locker and leaned next to him. "I said, what's up?"

Squall slammed his locker and turned to her, anger written on his face plain as day. "I am avoiding you for a reason, rich bitch."

Rinoa reeled back in shock at his tone of voice. Her face scrunched into hurt and she tilted her head forward a bit. "I'm just ask-."

"Quit talking to me. Don't think that the graveyard gave you the notion that we were friends. I felt sorry for you. I hoped that was enough to get you off my back and leave me alone."

"What are you talking about?" Rinoa whispered harshly.

"Don't play fucking mind games with me. We come from two different worlds. Quit trying to make it seem like you want to be friends, I get it. Just get lost," he hissed, his nose practically touching hers.

As he stormed away, Rinoa yelled, "I know why you were late! I know where you were and what you were doing, so don't think I don't know anything about you!"

Squall stopped and tensed up, slowly turning his head back to face her, his eyes narrowed to small slits. "Whatever."

Rinoa ran and stood in front of him. "Don't think I was messing with your head yesterday. Alright? I'm not talking to you just to talk. You're a pretty decent person-." Rinoa was cut off when Squall sneered and pushed passed her, muttering something incoherent to Rinoa. She growled and grabbed his arm before he walked too far away. He looked angry yet at the same time, his eyes hinted defeat. "Squall, this isn't about hurting anyone or making you look like an idiot. It's not about making up to you when you saved me or anything like that."

He shook his head and turned to her. She looked so desperate, and for what? Squall knew he wasn't anything special by the school's standards. He was the president's son, a chain smoker, a borderline alcoholic, a boy with no mother, and a student with no friends. Yet Rinoa seemed to see something that Squall couldn't. "What do you want from me?" he exhaled sharply.

"I know this will sound weird but you have to take my word on it. I can't explain it but I feel this connection with you. Call me crazy or whatever, but you don't realize how big of an impact you've made on me recently."

Squall's eyes darted back and forth, obviously looking for a way out of the situation. Rinoa suddenly felt like the biggest idiot in Esthar City Academy. The lone teen stared at her and finally said, "Look, let's just leave everything that's happened in the past. The dance, the graveyard, everything. I've gotten through life without anyone and I think getting through senior year will be just as easy. Just forget everything has happened between us, Princess."

"You're not fooling anybody, Squall Leonheart, especially not me." Heart and ego crushed, Rinoa nodded and walked away, leaving Squall behind at his locker.

* * *

Author's Note: Haha, hello readers, if I have any left after this super long update. I want to get back into writing this because it's been a big project on my mind for a while. College and family and my boyfriend really have taken over my life but I still have a passion for writing. Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I've started this. So please leave reviews for me to read and cherish and all that good stuff.

xoxo


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